I think what's particular to more modern generations than my own (Get off my network share!) is more on the level of expectations than, reliably, knowledge. The experiences may very well vary, but beyond that it's a matter of attitude and application.
Reshared post from +George Wiman
My standard speech when anyone balks at learning how to perform their tasks on a computer is that, if they were suddenly transported back to 1870, they would learn to ride a horse, trim an oil lamp, heat with a Franklin stove, and use a chamber pot. In other words, if they wanted to go places and do things, they'd learn the technology of the time. Eventually it would become second-nature to them, and they might even learn advanced skills like Morse code if they wanted to do more.
Working as I do with college students, the "Digital Native" label gives me considerable amusement. Today's kids are quite familiar with current interfaces and with Facebook, and sometimes that makes them look like wizards. As to configuring wireless connections or handling conflicts in file formats, they vary in about the same proportion as you would expect from any group. And the difference, near as I can tell, is (and always has been) interest.
If you are interested in something, you will be more patient working around obstacles to learning about it. This is true regardless of the topic or the generation.
Having been a GTA for introductory CS classes in 2010 and 2011, I can tell you that the students showed little evidence of being "digital natives". Learning to program computers was perhaps harder for the students I saw than for students who grew up with TRS-80s or Commodore computers that did not hide the programming interfaces in the way that Windows 7 does.
+David Newman Which makes sense — just as a generation used to butter from the store would be less familiar with how to churn it.
Are you saying I am a butter native because I don't know how to churn butter? 🙂
Many of the students who had trouble programming also had trouble with just using the Linux workstations used in the labs because they were more used to Windows. If some people become digital natives by virtue of exposure to tech at a young age rather than by virtue of study, then I think their native knowledge covers a limited domain.